What is intercontinental ballistic missile that Ukraine claims Russia fired?

Ukraine says Russia fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in its central-eastern city of Dnipro overnight, the first such known use in the nearly three years of war. Ukraine’s air force did not specify what was targeted or if it caused any damage.

As per the Ukrainian air force, Russia also launched a Kinzhal hypersonic missile and seven Kh-101 cruise missiles, six of which were intercepted. “In particular, an intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from the Astrakhan region of the Russian Federation,” it said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram on Thursday (November 21) that his country was attacked with a “new Russian rocket”, whose “characteristics” indicate it was an ICBM. “Examinations are now underway. It is obvious that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is using Ukraine as a training ground,” he said.

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Zelenskyy said his Russian counterpart was “so afraid, he is already using new missiles.” “Today, our crazy neighbour has once again shown who he really is and how he despises dignity, freedom, and human life in general,” the Ukrainian President said in a video.

Today, our insane neighbor has once again revealed its true nature—its disdain for dignity, freedom, and human life itself. And, most of all, its fear.

Fear so overwhelming that it unleashes missile after missile, scouring the globe for more weapons—whether from Iran or North… pic.twitter.com/tEsZ0Uu1bt

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 21, 2024

The latest escalation comes after Ukraine fired US-made ATACMS missiles and British Storm Shadow cruise missiles into Russia this week.

Let’s take a closer look.

What are ICBMs?

Ballistic missiles can travel thousands of kilometres to strike their intended target. They can carry nuclear or conventional warheads.

There are four types of ballistic missiles — short-range, medium-range, intermediate-range and long-range.

Intercontinental ballistic missiles, which fall under the long-range category, are guided missiles capable of travelling over 5,500 km.

According to the Federation of American Scientists, the maximum range of ICBMs varies from 7,000 to 16,000 kilometres. This means some of these weapons can hit targets virtually anywhere in the world.

The missiles are powered by a rocket initially and then follow an unpowered trajectory toward their targets, as per the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.

ICBMs can be launched in different ways – from underground missile silos, heavy trucks, mobile launchers on rails or submarines, reported DW.

What we know about Russia’s attack

The Ukraine military has claimed Russia launched an ICBM in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
If this is true, it would be the first time such a missile was used during conflict in history.

There is no indication that the missile was carrying a nuclear warhead . Ukrainska Pravda, a Kyiv-based media outlet, reported citing anonymous sources that the weapon was an RS-26 Rubezh missile.

The RS-26 is a solid-fuelled ICBM with a range of 5,800 km, as per the Arms Control Association. This 12-metre (40-foot) long missile, weighing 36 tonnes, was first successfully tested in 2012, according to the US think tank Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The RS-26 mobile ground-based missile system can deliver an 800-kg nuclear warhead, say reports.

The CSIS says that the R-26 is listed as an ICBM under the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty between the United States and Russia, but it can also be classified as an intermediate-range ballistic missile when used to carry heavier payloads at ranges below 5,500 km, reported the Reuters news agency.

While the Ukrainian air force has not confirmed the type of missile yet, it said it was fired from Russia’s Astrakhan, over 700 km from Dnipro in Ukraine.

Kyiv said the Russian missile struck enterprises and critical infrastructure in Dnipro.

According to the regional head of Dnipropetrovsk, Serhiy Lysak, at least 15 people, including two teenagers, were injured in strikes on Kryvyi Rih this morning, reported BBC.

He flagged “damage to an industrial enterprise” in the regional capital Dnipro, saying there were two fires in the city, as per CNN.

Moscow has refused to comment on the attack. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov had “nothing to say” when asked about Ukraine’s accusations. “That’s a question for our military,” he told reporters.

A Western official has denied Ukraine’s claims that an ICBM was launched by Russia. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a summit of Asian nations’ defence ministers in Laos, the official said Moscow fired a ballistic missile, but not an intercontinental ballistic missile, as per the CNN report.

The official did not give more details about the missile, saying its impact was being gauged.

Ukraine has air defences to repel Russian attacks.

The batteries of the Patriot missile defence system provided to Kyiv by the US and Germany can intercept incoming ballistic missile warheads, as per the Missile Threat Project at the CSIS.

The Congressional Research Service says that the Patriot system has a vertical range of 20 kilometres and can defend an area of about 15 to 20 kilometres around the battery. However, intercepting a warhead from an ICBM is not an easy task.

What it means for the Russia-Ukraine war

If Russia fired an ICBM on Ukrainian territory, it would be a major escalation.

As BBC noted, Moscow has warned of retaliation to sophisticated Western missiles used against Russian targets.

The strikes could be its message to the West that it possesses missiles that can strike anywhere in the world.

After US President Joe Biden gave his nod to Ukraine to use longer-range American missiles, Russia’s Putin lowered the country’s threshold for a nuclear strike.

Kyiv fired US ATACMS missiles to target Russian military bases on Tuesday. The Russian Defence Ministry has claimed that its “air defences shot down two Storm Shadow cruise missiles, made by the UK”, reported BBC.

The use of the powerful long-range missile could be Putin’s warning to the West.

“They are trying to send a message. They’re trying to massively say to the West, ‘Look, the use of these Storm Shadow and ATACMS missiles maybe is challenging Russia’s critical interests.’ And so they’re trying to intimidate us into backing down here,” Malcolm Davis, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, told CNN.

He said that it is “important” that Ukraine and its Western allies “don’t back down”. “If indeed this is a signal to the West to back down and an implicit nuclear threat, then if we do back down, the Russians are only going to do this again – and again, and again, and again,” Davis added.

The choice of target – Dnipro – can be Russia’s warning that it is capable of targeting the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv, retired US Major General Mark MacCarley told CNN.

“You could say that Russia shot first at Dnipro as a statement suggesting that if Ukraine does not back away from the use of, let’s say, the newly provided ATACMS (longer-range American missiles) from the US and the Storm Shadows from Britain, that Russia will use the same longer-range intercontinental ballistic missile and hit Kyiv,” he added.

The latest attack is, however, not likely to bring a major change in the outcome of Russia’s war with Ukraine.

With inputs from agencies